Telefonica and Sony Partner for Charge To Mobile

O2 customers in the UK can now buy Sony content across wide range of devices using their mobile phone bill

Telefónica Digital and Sony Network Entertainment Europe today announced an agreement to bring the benefits of Charge to Mobile to customers purchasing digital content from the PlayStation® Store and other Sony Entertainment Network services.

The service, which is now live for Telefónica’s O2 customers in the UK, lets users top up their Sony Entertainment Network wallet using their mobile phone bill or prepay credit, avoiding the need to enter credit or debit card details. They can then purchase digital content including downloadable games, add-ons, music, movies and TV shows direct from the Sony Entertainment Network Account Management website or Android application from launch, and then shortly after, from the PlayStation®Store on the PlayStation®3 (PS3™).

The ease and convenience of being able to pay for items by mobile phone bill or prepay credit has been shown to increase sales of digital content, particularly in areas where the penetration of credit cards and even bank accounts is low.

The capability, which is delivered in partnership with Boku, is initially being rolled out in the UK before launching in other Telefónica markets in due course.

“More and more leading brands are recognising the power of Charge to Mobile as a payment mechanism for digital content, not only on smartphones but across a range of consumer electronic devices,” said Wayne Thorsen (@waytho), vice president of Global Partnerships at Telefónica Digital. “It is a fast, easy and safe alternative to credit or debit cards.”

Gordon Thornton, Vice President: Sony Network Entertainment Europe, said: “We are always looking at new ways to give our customers more choice in terms of content, accessibility and payment methods, and are pleased to be able to offer the option of mobile payments, which are becoming more and more popular as a convenient alternative to credit cards.”